Return to Camelot
by KMBlackwell
Summary: The sins and company are reunited with with an old friend who may have played a key role in Elaine's death. Arthur Pendragon falls ill and Merlin works hard to heal him and uncover what seems to be betrayal in the Kingdom of Camelot. In the absence of King Arthur's Knights, darkness has spread across Camelot and our heroes are caught in the middle.
1. Up in smoke

_*This story is on a timeline right after Hendrickson's defeat and Meliodas' acceptance into Camelot as a Great Holy Knight. The final sin, Escanor is still MIA and the sins and company are on their way to Camelot.*_

 _In King Arthur's absence, the kingdom of Camelot suffered multiple attacks from what appear to be demons. Our heroes arrive on the outskirts of a village that has been decimated by a massive fire. King Arthur is so devastated by the loss of some of his closest subjects that he becomes catatonic and unresponsive. King is also stricken by the sight of the charred village as it brings back memories of his sister, Elaine._

"Who could have done such a thing?" Elizabeth whimpered as she reached for a scorched doll on the ground.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ban scoffed.

"Sir Ban, you don't think a demon could have done this, do you?"

"I don't recall a demon ever making it this far." Gowther chimed in.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Elizabeth looked puzzled.

"Centuries ago, Camelot was established by two of the strongest Knights in history. The two Knights were born with amazing fighting abilities and often times caused unnatural earthquakes while dueling each other. It was rumored that they both shared demon ancestry since no other demon dared to enter their land for fear of an embarrassing defeat. The two of them were so powerful together that their mother decided to try and 'split' both of them up in attempt to salvage what was left of this land. One was to remain in Camelot and the other was scattered into oblivion, never to find a way home."

"Wow, Gowther, you sure do know a lot about this stuff," Gowther nodded as Meliodas chimed in.

"Before humans inhabited Camelot, it was a baron wasteland. Nothing but craters and dry, charred soil. Nothing grew, nothing lived, it was like hell on earth," King weighed in.

"It's kinda looking that way now," Ban added.

King Arthur fell to his knees and banged his fist on the ground. He knew if he would have left without Merlin he would have died in the battle with Hendrickson. But his guilt at leaving his subjects defenseless made him weep. He looked ahead into the distance at his castle still gleaming tall and proud in the horizon of total decimation.

"What if it was just a bad accident, these things do happen," Diane said hopefully.

"Since when do houses accidently burn down all at the same time?" Ban asked blankly.

"My Lord, I think we should make our way to the castle. It is possible that the villagers escaped and took refuge," Merlin suggested.

King Arthur did not acknowledge Merlin's suggestion nor did he remark about anything anyone else said. His eyes were dull and his face had grown pale. As he stood to march toward the castle his voice called out in a hushed voice.

"What's he saying?" Diane asked.

"My Lord, what's the matt—"

Merlin was cut off by King Arthur's left hand attempting to strike her across the cheek. The attempt was blocked by Meliodas who took the full force of the blow.

"That hurt. You really shouldn't hit girls."

"Sir Meliodas! Are you alright?" Elizabeth shouted.

"You know, I don't think so. It hurt so bad, I think I need you to kiss it," Meliodas attempted as he pretended to faint into Elizabeth's arms.

King grew annoyed with the captain's disinterest in what had happened to the village and stormed off. Diane noticed and chased after him.

"King! Wait! I'm coming with you! What's wrong?"

"ENOUGH of this! What the hell is going on?" Ban shouted. His frustration was seeded in the same thoughts as King's.

"You know, you really shouldn't raise your voice, it's bad for your health," Gowther muttered.

"What did you say to me, dictionary?" Ban clenched his fist in Gowther's face.

"Hm. I see. There is some powerful magic at work here," Gowther mentioned as he looked to Merlin.

"You've sensed it too, then?" Merlin acknowledged.

"Oh, gosh, I am so confused!" Elizabeth clutched her ears and began sobbing as Meliodas retuned to an upright position.

"Captain, you seem unaffected. How is your mood?" Gowther asked.

"She feels fine," Meliodas said as he groped Elizabeth.

"You dirty leech!" Hawk squealed.

"Captain, please," Merlin grimaced.

King Arthur had taken a knee after the Meliodas took the hit for Merlin. He now sat hunched over mumbling to himself. Gowther took notice of him and completely ignored Ban's attempts. Arthur's mumbling was a familiar language but Gowther could not quite place it.

"It seems that I cannot see into the King's mind. My attempts are clouded by a pitch black flame. Seeing as how King Arthur is human and the current condition he is in, I assume that he has been poisoned. In fact, we have all been poisoned," Gowther concluded.

"What? That's terrible! What's going to happen to us?" Elizabeth cried.

"Don't worry, Princess. You'll be fine. Your mind is a lot stronger than you think. If I am correct, the demon we are so worried about isn't actually a demon at all. This black stuff everywhere is actually poison," Meliodas pointed out.

"That still doesn't make everything okay, captain," Ban groaned.

"We need to get to the castle," Merlin suggested.

"Merlin, wasn't this a substance you used in one of our previous battles?" Gowther asked.

Merlin narrowed her eyes on King Arthur as he still sat hunched like a sick animal. She grimaced as the king vomited and slumped all the way to the ground. Her mind raced with the amount of antidote she would need to cure the fever and sickness that would soon follow. But most of all she wondered who might have gotten into her stash of potions. Clearly, someone in the kingdom had betrayed her trust.

"There isn't much time to explain. Arthur will die if we do not move him away from this. Where is Diane? I need her to carry the king to the castle."

* * *

Meanwhile, Diane had been chasing after King who stormed off in a huff against Meliodas' lack of concern for the village far behind them. She knew that he was upset but it wasn't just because of Meliodas. Diane knew it had something to do with his late sister, Elaine.

"King, wait! Talk to me, would ya?"

King realized that Diane had been following him for some time and decided to come to a stop at the edge of a riverbank located deep in the surrounding woods. Small, friendly creatures began to make their way toward him in response to his erratic emotions. He had almost forgotten about his connection to the forest and was humbled by their presence. The rushing river and mist of a nearby waterfall aided the forest in its attempt to ease the fairy king's despair.

"I have been having dreams about her. More so than usual," King finally spoke.

"Oh," Diane whispered.

"In my dreams she is always smiling and giggling. I loved the way we were when we were young. So unburdened by our responsibilities. I wish I had been there to stop that demon! But it was Ban that got the glory! It was Ban that got to hold her last! I will never forgive myself!" King began to weep.

Diane moved in closer to King and reached out her hands as he fell into her massive palms.

"King, you can't be so hard on yourself. If you carry this burden around forever you'll never be able to move on. Sure, Ban isn't my favorite person either, but you gotta admit, not letting your sister die alone was kind of a brave thing. Anyone else would have run away from that demon and left her all alone and defenseless. Ban is probably the only other person in this world that loves your sister as much as you do," Diane said kindly.

King rubbed the tears from his eyes as he looked up at Diane. She was so smart and kind without even trying. He wanted to be more like that. He wanted to forgive Ban but was at a loss for how to do so.

"How about we go back and see what we can do to help in the village?" Diane asked sweetly.

"Sure thing. I'll bet everyone is wondering where we—"

King's eyes suddenly darted to the waterfall several yards away. A metallic gleam caught his attention and he quickly hovered over to the edge of the riverbank. King noticed that many of the forest creatures that had come to comfort him hand began to gather in front of the waterfall. They were in distress at whatever was behind the rushing water. King hovered just inches away from the heavy stream and used his chastiefol to part the water.

"Is that, a girl? In chains?"

"No, it's a phoenix."

* * *

To be continued... **Please review**! Thanks!


	2. An Old Flame

_Our heroes make it to King Arthur's castle with the help of Hawk's mom. All of King Arthur's loyal subjects are accounted for within the castle walls. King and Diane still have yet to arrive at the castle. Merlin promptly begins treating the king with the assistance of a young boy, Gowther, and Elizabeth. Feeling restless, Ban and Meliodas decide to try and get answers from the villagers._

"So, where should we start first, captain?"

"I'll bet these people are awful thirsty after a near death experience," Meliodas suggested sarcastically.

"Alright! Get drunk and get in good with the locals!" Ban shouted joyfully.

As they walked the streets of the market hordes of people whispered among themselves. It was clear that Meliodas and Ban were outsiders but there was more hype out of this crowd than there usually was elsewhere.

"Captain, these people seem awful sketchy."

"It's probably because of the way you dress," a small voice echoed between the two of them.

Ban's eyes widened as he spun around. His heart pounded at the thought of hearing Elaine's sweet voice. His shoulders relaxed as he realized that the voice he heard did not belong to the goddess of the fountain. Standing before him was a petite little girl with a basket of bread. She smiled sweetly as she offered Meliodas and Ban a baguette.

"Thanks," Meliodas accepted happily.

"What's wrong with the way I dress, little girl?" Ban asked playfully as he patted the girl on the head.

"You two stick out like a—GIANT!"

The little girl screamed as she pointed toward the entry gate of the castle square. Diane's head peeked inside as the villagers scrambled for shelter. The little girl fainted onto Ban's feet. He abruptly scooped her up into his arms as Meliodas approached Diane.

"Hey Diane. Where ya been?"

"Oh, captain! It's awful! King is passed out cold!" Diane whimpered as she revealed King's limp body inside her back pack.

"Where the hell are his clothes?!" Ban shouted.

"Um, they were stolen," Diane sighed as she twirled her hair between her fingers.

"Who would want to steal King's clothes?" Ban scoffed.

Meliodas noticed all the villagers watching from prospective corners and exchanging glances.

"Why don't we take this inside at the Boar Hat? Ban, let's get some food ready for King and your little friend. We can start serving when we know King is alright," Meliodas suggested.

"What can I do, captain?" Diane asked sweetly.

"Start by telling me what happened."

Back at the castle, Elizabeth assists Merlin in nursing Arthur Pendragon back to health. Gowther hovers over her as she washes fresh bandages in an herbal bath that Merlin conjured up. Elizabeth rested her hands in the water for a long time before she realized that she was daydreaming.

"Is something troubling you, Princess?" Gowther asked.

"Oh, me? I was just remembering the story you told us earlier—about the two knights of Camelot. Is there more to it, sir Gowther?"

"Well, there is but most of it is just legend. The people of Camelot all have very different opinions about how the kingdom came to be as it is today," Gowther mentioned.

"Oh, I was just wondering, if the knights were both battling each other constantly, how did they decide who would be king?" Elizabeth asked as she placed a soaked bandage across King Arthur's forehead.

The King stirred in his sleep in response to Elizabeth's touch. The princess narrowed her eyes on the sleeping King as thoughts filled her head about the kingdom of Liones. As the third princess in line she knew she would probably never have to worry about the hierarchy of such things.

"I just can't imagine starting a kingdom with nothing to build off of. I mean, don't get me wrong being the head of the throne has never crossed my mind but what would it be like to have to fight for it? Whoever the first king was must have been very strong and powerful," Elizabeth concluded.

Gowther took a special interest in Princess Elizabeth's conclusion. He thought on it for a moment as he stared at the drapery in the room. His eyes landed on a tapestry decorated in purple and gold. Tassels lined the edges of an image of a golden bird with both wings raised upward in flight. He moved closer to it, seemingly to inspect it when in reality he was preparing for a sudden attack.

Gowther bent over at the knees as King's sacred treasure, chastiefol, soared into the room. Elizabeth shrieked as the weapon fixed itself inches above Gowther's head into the wall. The tapestry ripped and fell onto the floor.

"Sir Gowther! Are you alright?"

"ELIZABETH! Get out of there!" Meliodas shouted from outside of the castle window.

"Sir Meliodas? What's—"

Elizabeth was cut off as Ban tackled her to the ground. The chastiefol scrapped along his spine ripping bits of flesh from Ban's back. Ban's cells immediately regenerated as he scooped the Princess up and prepared to toss her out of the window.

"Ban! Wait!" Meliodas shouted as the chastiefol configured into its deadly state, multiply.

Elizabeth whimpered as she clung to Ban's neck. Hundreds of small daggers aimed at the two of them from all angles. Meliodas shouted angrily as he sprinted into the castle, "I'm coming Elizabeth!"

"Well, well, well, I didn't think I'd ever see the likes of you again, Ban the undead," a melodious voice purred.

Ban arched an eyebrow at a woman hovering next to King Arthur's bedside. He then began laughing so hard at the sight of her wearing King's clothes that he dropped Elizabeth on her bottom. His wailing laughter echoed in the chamber as Meliodas finally caught up. The woman was so angered by Ban's amusement that she abruptly began yelling at him.

"Holy shit, Wren, you look ridiculous," Ban howled.

"Is this any way to treat your childhood friend?! What the hell is the matter with you? I ought to smack the immortal right off your smug face!"

"Friend? Since when did we ever become friends, you old hen," Ban chuckled.

"Elizabeth, you're alright?" Meliodas asked sharply.

"Um, yes, I am fine," Elizabeth answered briskly.

"Good, now close your eyes. I'm gonna teach this bird a lesson," Meliodas smirked as he lunged toward Wren.

Caught off guard and distracted by Ban, Meliodas managed to tackle the young woman to the ground. He pinned her down and pointed to the bowl of water and herbs that Elizabeth was working with. Gowther stood perplexed at what had just unfolded so rapidly that he almost forgot about being attacked. He looked, bewildered, at the chastiefol and then again to Meliodas who was pleading for the bowl of water.

"Oh, I see," Gowther finally drew a conclusion and passed the bowl of water to Meliodas.

"Open wide," Meliodas chuckled as he poured the contents of the bowl onto Wren.

"Be careful, captain, she might lay an egg!" Ban snickered.

"You dick! I almost had it!" Wren shouted from underneath soaked crimson tendrils of hair.

Elizabeth watched as the chastiefol dropped to the floor with a metallic clink. Ban attempted to gather his composure as Meliodas slithered his way back to Elizabeth's side. Gowther stood at King Arthur's bedside staring at Wren, who still lay on the floor covered in herbal medicine.

"Do I even want to know what happened here?" Merlin's voice rang out from the doorway.

"She started it," Ban pointed at Wren who glared at him as she twisted medicine out of her hair.

"I beg your pardon, but who is she? And why is she dressed like sir King?" Elizabeth asked in bewilderment.

Ban lost his composure again and the laughter ensued. Wren's frustration peaked as she tackled Ban and began relentlessly beating on his face. Meliodas gleefully cheered for Ban, "Keep your chin down! Wouldn't want her to give you cooties!"

"Oh no! Anything but that!" Ban laughed hysterically as his broken bones regenerated.

"That is the phoenix Wren, Merlin's younger sibling," Gowther finally answered.

* * *

 **Please** review! I am in need of critique/ advice! Thanks! :)

**disclaimer, I do not own The Seven Deadly Sins or any of it's characters. I am only responsible for my style of writing and OC .**


	3. Ashes to Ashes

"So, let me get this straight, you attacked Elizabeth because she had an invisible imp on her back?" Meliodas arched an eyebrow at Wren.

"Yep," Wren replied.

"So, is this the same imp that is responsible for the attack on the village?"

Wren nodded in response.

King sat hovering just out of earshot. His arms were folded in a huff. King was still embarrassed that he let Wren zap his powers and that Diane suggested she borrow his clothes. But, most of all, he was upset that Diane saw him kissing another girl.

"Oh, Diane, I didn't mean it! She kissed me, I would have stopped if I had not been in such a trance! Oh, how can I ever make it up to her!? She'll probably never want anything to do with me again!" King whimpered to himself.

"Hey, King, you okay?" Diane wondered.

"Diane! You're not upset with me?"

"Um, no. Should I be?"

King let out a heavy sigh as he curled up into his chastiefol. He felt awful about what happened but now felt worse that Diane was clueless about his feelings for her. Meliodas and the others all sat inside the Boar Hat attempting to piece together what had happened. King and Diane mentioned that they found Wren magically bound, in chains, beneath a waterfall in the forest. King recognized Wren and released her from the bindings using his chastiefol.

"So, when King saved you, you sucked face with him to gain some power back?" Ban asked as he slid a pint of ale toward Wren.

"For lack of a better explanation, yes," she replied.

"And they call ME the sin of greed," Ban chuckled.

"A phoenix's abilities vary depending on its prey. The more spiritual power their prey has, the more potential for energy transfer there is," Gowther pointed out.

Wren continued to enjoy her beverage as Gowther did most of the talking. She felt it was best to let him explain things since her memory was still a little cloudy. She glanced out the window while Gowther expounded on her skill to absorb extreme spiritual abilities from other beings. She was amused with the idea of her hosts being referred to as prey. She chuckled.

"So, wait a minute, you're a real life phoenix?" Hawk waddled in.

"Who said that?" Wren looked bewildered.

"Oh, this here is Hawk. He's a pig," Melidoas mentioned.

"It talks," Wren arched a brow.

"You do too, bird brain," Ban scoffed.

"Ban, be nice," Meliodas wacked Ban on the head with an empty beer mug.

"Excuse me, lady Wren, but how did you know there was an imp on my back?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.

Wren turned toward the Princess and narrowed her gilded eyes on her. She had seen the princess before when she was still a toddler. Though, Wren herself had not aged much, Elizabeth had grown into such a fine young woman. Wren remembered watching the king of Liones and his daughters always playing in the castle courtyard while she and Merlin prepared for court. She smiled at Elizabeth as she replied,

"I have been chasing it for quite a while now. Although, I am pretty sure Vivian is behind it."

"Vivian? The mage from Liones?" Meliodas asked.

"Indeed. I fear that she may have a new master these days," Wren responded as she took a large gulp from the pint.

"Isn't Merlin kinda pissed about that?" Ban asked.

"Well, that's the thing, I don't think Merlin knew about it. When she left with Arthur, I was appointed the task of protecting the kingdom, along with the help of the Knights of the Round Table. But something went wrong," Wren uttered.

Wren thought back to her last memory in the forest before she was captured. Gowther sensed her unease in her own recollection and used his ability, invasion, to fill in gaps.

"You were in pursuit of an imp that had stolen your identity and wreaked havoc on the village. In running through the forest the imp led you into a trap where a hooded knight sought to do battle with you. When you got close enough to see his face you were immobilized by an icy blast that came from behind you," Gowther revealed.

"I am afraid that is all I remember," Wren frowned.

"That's unfortunate and all but that still doesn't really explain why things happened the way they did," King had stepped into the Boar Hat.

Wren grimaced as the fairy king made his entrance. She felt bad that she stole from him without asking but she distinctly remembered that his spiritual power allowed her to utilize the chastiefol.

"Now Wren is thinking of how King's internal flame allowed her to use his powers to help the kingdom. She feels that she did nothing wrong and that King should be more honest to Diane about how he feels for her," Gowther spewed.

"Gowther!" Wren shouted.

"Ha ha, guess it's not rape if you're willing, King," Ban laughed as he dodged assaults from King.

"Internal flame?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Wren was feeding off of King's fondness of Diane. Those types of feelings are often referred to by a phoenix as an internal flame. Since a phoenix's heart burns hottest in the presence of another's feelings for someone else, they are often regarded as lustful creatures. In retrospect, they are very dependent on love and passion of others in order to initiate powerful attacks," Gowther rambled.

"Oh, that's so wonderful! It must be a great feeling knowing that you can turn someone else's love into something so powerful," Elizabeth exclaimed.

Wren slouched over in an attempt to hide from Gowther's annoying explanation of her species. He is always so accurate but at the same time unaffected by her actual emotions. Meliodas broke the tension by groping Elizabeth.

"Kinda like the fiery lust between lovers coming to fruition," Meliodas smirked.

"Sir Meliodas!" Elizabeth squealed.

Wren banged her head against the bar in the awkward agony that she was in. She hated when people got the wrong idea about her abilities but she herself was not open enough to explain it.

"Oh, it seems that it is quite the opposite of that, captain. Wren's thoughts are centered on her own internal flame that has not burned in centuries. In fact, the last time she took on true form was when she was re-born from the ashes of-"

"That's enough," Wren cut Gowther off.

"The ashes of the tree of life," King finished the sentence.

There was a long silence as the sins took in the meaning of King's words. Wren was indeed a phoenix and by the nature of such is often re-born from one life to the next. King's sister, Elaine, was the goddess who dwelled in the same tree that gave birth to Wren's new life as Merlin's sibling. Wren looked sternly toward Ban who had dropped a newly filled pint onto the floor.

"What did you… say….?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a cloud of darkness lingers in the forest where Wren was found. A dark hooded figure stands in wait for a messenger. The dense fog lifts to reveal the young girl from the market approaching the hooded figure.

"Have you news for Madame Butterfly?" the cloaked figure moaned.

"Yes! The outsiders are none other than the Seven Deadly Sins!" the little girl squealed with enthusiasm.

"It seems that you have allowed the phoenix to escape. M'lady will not be pleased."

"I—I—I'm sorry! I am terrified of giants… I just lost concentration my Lord!" the little girl wept.

The figure became angered at the little girl's moping and struck her so hard that the basket of bread she was carrying went flying.

"Now, now, Lancelot. No need to abuse the help," another voice slithered into the conversation.

"My Lady! Please forgive me! I was only teaching this girl a lesson. You do not tolerate weakness," Lancelot bowed.

"Oh, my precious Lancelot, out of all my faithful servants, you are the strongest. I pity the ones who fall beneath you," a full bodied apparition appeared before the bowing knight.

"My lady, you are too kind. How is it that I should serve you now?"

"First, we must figure out what to do about our missing phoenix. Then we will destroy Camelot," the woman murmured.

Lancelot lifted his chin toward the woman in response to her gentle touch on his jawline. His eyes were glazed over with dark energy. The woman smiled down at her slave.

"I will send for Vivian to return to us," he responded.

"Very good, my knight. Now, we have something more important to take care of," she motioned to the little girl who had transformed into the imp that Wren was after.

"Shall I dispose of it?" the knight asked unsheathing his sword.

The woman gave a throaty laugh as she nodded. The imp tried its hardest to escape but was held in place by the dark matter in the fog. Lancelot plunged his sword into the imp's heart and with one swift motion the sword was ablaze with demon fire. The imp's screams echoed as a little girl's cry and the roaring cackle of the sorceress Morgan Le Fay echoed throughout the kingdom.


End file.
